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Top Cuban infield prospect Yoan Moncada cannot sign with a Major League team until he is cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury, but he has already participated in several private workouts for teams.

According to industry sources, Moncada, 19, has held private workouts for the Brewers, Rangers, Giants, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres in Florida. The Dodgers, Rays, Cubs, and Phillies are also showing strong interest.

Moncada remains the most celebrated young prospect to leave Cuba since Jorge Soler, who signed with the Cubs in 2012. Moncada debuted for Cienfuegos in Cuba’s Serie Nacional at age 17 and hit .277 during parts of two seasons. He made a name for himself by dominating the 16-and-under and 18-and-under leagues in Cuba.

Because he is under 23 and did not play in a Cuban professional league for at least five seasons, Moncada is subject to the international signing guidelines. In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool based on the team’s record in 2013 for the international signing period, which started on July 2.

The Yankees, Rays, Red Sox along with the D-backs and Angels have all spent more than 15 percent of their allotted bonus pools and are in the maximum penalty range for the 2014-15 signing period. The penalty includes a 100 percent tax on their pool overage and prohibits them from signing any pool-eligible player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods.

Moncada was granted his release from his Serie Nacional Cienfuegos team last year and later cleared by Cuba’s National Baseball Commission. He was granted a visa and a passport by the Cuban government and left on an airplane to Central America.

Tomas is currently mulling offers from at least the Braves, D-backs, Padres, and Giants, according to industry sources. He’s also considering attending the Winter Meetings next month in San Diego.

It’s unclear when Tomas will make his final choice, but it’s long been believed that the slugger is seeking at least a five- to six-year deal with an annual salary near $15 million. However, last week sources indicated the Tomas camp had not ruled out the possibility of signing a short-term, high-value deal that would allow him to return to the free-agent market sooner rather than later.

This much is certain: Tomas starred in a showcase in front of scouts from all 30 Major League teams in September and held private workouts for the D-backs, Dodgers, Mariners, Giants, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox and Royals in the weeks that followed.

We also know the Braves have a need to acquire at least one corner outfielder and have increased their interest in Tomas since dealing Jason Heyward to the Cardinals last week and placing Justin Upton on the trading block.

On Tuesday, Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant general manager John Coppolella and top international scout Gordon Blakeley were among the club representatives to watch Tomas train in the Dominican Republic.

Should Tomas choose Arizona, he could play right field for the D-backs or move to left field if Arizona chose to shift Mark Trumbo from left to right field. Tomas could also slot somewhere behind All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the team’s no. 3 hitter, in the batting order, especially if the club decides to trade catcher Miguel Montero.

The Giants, who recently said goodbye to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, have scouted Tomas extensively and there’s a belief the slugger could play third base, in addition to left field, for San Francisco if he signs there. Tomas’ agent, Jay Alou, is the nephew of Felipe Alou, who serves as a special assistant to San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean.

The Padres have an offer on the table for Tomas, and general manager A.J. Preller was recently in the Dominican Republic to meet with the outfielder, but the Padres are not believed to have the highest current bid for his services.

The Phillies had been considered by some the favorite to land Tomas, but a source told MLB.com last week that the club had cooled on him because of his asking price. However, the Phillies remain interested in signing the player.

Tomas, who turned 24 earlier this month, played five seasons for the Havana Industriales and hit 30 home runs with 104 RBIs in 205 regular-season games for the Industriales, starting in 2008. However, he never played in more than 69 games during the Serie Nacional’s 90-game regular seasons and did not play at all during the 2010-11 season.

The race to sign Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas is heating up once again.

The Braves and Padres have emerged as the frontrunners in the Tomas’ sweepstakes and top officials from both clubs are expected to meet with him this weekend in the Dominican Republic, according to industry sources.

What’s more, sources indicate Tomas is currently mulling offers and his camp is considering attending Winter Meetings in San Diego next month. The slugger is believed to be seeking at least a five to seven year deal with an annual salary near $15 million, but the Tomas’ camp has not ruled out the possibility of signing a short-term, high-value deal that would allow him to return to the market sooner rather than later.

Tomas, who turned 24 on Nov. 14, left Cuba last summer and trained six days a week for four months until the rules allowed him to begin working out on a baseball field in early September. He starred in a showcase in front of scouts from all 30 Major League team later in the month and held private workouts for the D-backs, Dodgers, Mariners, Giants, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox and Royals in the weeks that followed.

The Phillies were previously mentioned as the favorite to land the slugger.

Tomas played five seasons for the Havana Industriales in the Serie Nacional in Cuba, which means he was subjected to the international signing guidelines. Overall, he hit 30 home runs with 104 RBIs in 205 regular-season games for the Industriales, starting in 2008. However, he never played more than 69 games during the Serie Nacional’s 90-game regular season and did not play during the 2010-11 season.

The son of a fuel truck driver, Tomas is from the La Cuevita San Miguel del Padron section of Havana. He began playing baseball at age 6 with the other neighborhood children in the street, and he often tagged along with his grandfather to watch the hometown Havana Industriales play.

On Tuesday, catcher Yenier Bello, right-handed pitcher Rogelio Armenteros, and first baseman Jozzen Cuesta, who are all from Cuba, starred in a showcase in front of several big league scouts at a stadium in Tijuana, Mexico.

Bello, 28, who is represented by Bryce Dixon of the Primo Sports Group, left Cuba for Ecuador earlier this year and later established residency in Mexico. He has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball but cannot enter into an agreement with a club until he has been cleared by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Armenteros and Cuesta, who are represented by the Wasserman Media Group, are also in the process of finalizing their paperwork. There were approximately 20 teams represented at Tuesday’s showcase.

“Bello is chomping at the bit to play Major League Baseball after seeing players in his peer group and guys younger than him make it to the big leagues,” Dixon said. “He’s giving it everything he has to achieve the same level of success as his friends (Yasiel) Puig, (Yoenis) Cespedes and (Aroldis) Chapman have had. He’s really excited because he never thought he would get the chance.”

Bello He hit .274 with 13 home runs in Cuba’s La Serie Nacional, the country’s top amateur league, in 2011. He hit 75 home runs and drove in 297 runs in his last five seasons in Cuba, primarily with Sancti Spíritus.

According to Dixon, Bello was caught attempting to escape from Cuba in 2012, suspended from baseball on the island and had his passport confiscated. The catcher soon retired and eventually had his passport returned to him. Bello departed for Ecuador last spring and never returned.

“If you look at the crop of catchers available now, he skews toward the younger end, even at 28,” Dixon said. “He’s been training really hard for this.”

Free agents Brian McCann, A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Ruiz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are considered among the top catchers available this winter.

The D-backs have an offer on the table for veteran backup catcher Rod Barajas, according to an industry source.

Barajas, 37, made his big league debut with the D-backs in 1999 and appeared in 211 games with Arizona and later joined Texas after the 2003 season. He’s also played for the Phillies, Mets, Blue Jays and Dodgers during his career.

Barajas appeared in 104 games for the Pirates last season. The D-backs hope starter Miguel Montero can catch 130-135 games next season.

Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona , is seeking a one-year deal and has garnered interest from at least five teams, including the Indians, his former club, according to an industry source.

Hernandez, 31, has two offers on the table and is mulling his options. He does not have any interest in pitching out of the bullpen.

The right-handed pitcher was arrested in January in the Dominican Republic on charges of using a false name and legal issues kept him from obtaining a visa and entering the United States for several months. The charges were eventually dropped and the one-time All-Star became eligible to pitch for the Indians on Aug. 11. However, he made only three starts and was slowed by an ankle injury.

The club restructured Hernandez’s contract for 2012 after his arrest and later declined his $6 million option at the end of the season, making him a free agent. He does not have any visa issues and expects to report to camp on time when he signs with a team, the source said.

Hernandez originally signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and went 53-69 with a 4.64 ERA in seven seasons with the Tribe.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball sent out a notice to the clubs advising them that Cespedes, as a resident of the Dominican Republic, is not subjected to the Amateur Draft and may now sign as a free agent.

On Tuesday, the outfield prospect established residency in the Dominican Republic. Cespedes’ representative must now unblock him pursuant to the OFAC regulations before he can enter into a contract.

Cespedes, who just finished a stint with Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League, recently said the Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Orioles, Tigers, and Indians have expressed the most interest in signing him. He is expected to command a contract greater than the one received by Cuban left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman, who signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January 2010.

The Marlins are on record saying they believe Cespedes’ best fit is in Miami, with its strong Cuban community. The club is prepared to make a substantial offer — between four and six years — for the power-hitting outfielder.
Reports that he is not interested in signing with the Marlins are not true, an industry source said.

Cespedes hit .333 with 33 home runs, 99 RBIs and 11 stolen bases over 90 games in Cuba during the 2010-11 season, and many believe he can be inserted into the 2012 Opening Day starting lineup for the team that signs him.

He hit .143 with one home run and 10 strikeouts in 35 at-bats for the Aguilas.

Cuban outfield prospect Yoenis Cespedes has established residency in the Dominican Republic and is now waiting on approval from Major League Baseball to be declared a free agent, his representative Edgar Mercedes said.

Cespedes, who just finished a stint with Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League, recently said the Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Orioles, Tigers, and Indians have expressed the most interest in signing him. He is expected to command a contract greater than the one received by Cuban left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman, who signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January 2010.

Cespedes hit .333 with 33 home runs, 99 RBIs and 11 stolen bases over 90 games in Cuba during the 2010-11 season, and many believe he can be inserted into the 2012 Opening Day starting lineup for the team that signs him.

He hit .143 with one home run and 10 strikeouts in 35 at-bats for the Aguilas.

Free agent pitcher Gerardo Concepcion worked out for the Rangers in front of a contingent that included owner Nolan Ryan at the team’s complex in the Dominican Republic on Monday and the club is among the favorites to sign the Cuban left-hander.

The Rangers, Yankees, Cubs and White Sox have expressed the most interest in signing the left-hander, according Concepcion’s agent Jaime Torres. The Marlins, Phillies, Giants, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Royals have also shown interest.

Concepcion has one offer on the table and is expected to sign a Major League contract during the next two weeks, the agent said.

“Everything is great. I really don’t know how to describe it,” Concepcion, 18, said by phone from the Dominican Republic. “All the training and exercise I have done is paying off. I’ve worked so hard to get here. I’m so happy. It’s like a dream come true.”

Concepcion, who was named Rookie of the Year in the Cuban Serie Nacional in 2010-11 after posting a 10-3 record and a 3.36 ERA in 21 games with Industriales de la Habana, defected from Cuba last June during the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands. He later established residency in Mexico and was declared a free agent last week.

He has been working out in the Dominican Republic and starred in a showcase for Major League scouts on the island last Thursday.

In Pineda’s case, the price proved to be a steep one, as New York agreed to part with power-hitting catcher Jesus Montero, shipping their top prospect to the Mariners in a four-player trade.

Though the teams have not made an official announcement, a source confirmed that Seattle is set to send Pineda and Minor League pitcher Jose Campos to the Yankees for Montero and 24-year-old right-hander Hector Noesi.

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